IPOH: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah said the people should not be punished by bearing any hardship.
Instead, he said the spirit of democracy must be upheld, and the interests and welfare of every common citizen should be in the hearts of leaders as a perpetual priority.
"The leaders are now appointed and the government is now established. Being a member of the State Assembly, chosen by the people, is a great honour but also a significant responsibility to be fulfilled that requires hard work, dedication, and considerable sacrifice.
"Fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to you with sincerity, honesty, fairness, and impartiality, in accordance with the Constitution and the law," he said at the opening speech of the 15th state legislative assembly in Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here today.
Also present was Raja Permaisuri Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim.
Sultan Nazrin also reminded the state assemblymen to stay away from arrogance, conceit, and the culture of winner-takes-all.
"Instead, be fair and just in allocating resources and implementing development programs fairly without prejudice, without discrimination, or without suppression against any party, for every voter is a Divine being (makhluk ilahi) and every constituency in this state is under the sovereignty of the Sultan of Perak," he said.
Sultan Nazrin said the state assembly was a legislative institution responsible for assessing, debating, and approving state enactments.
"Its members have to maintain the dignity of this chamber and make it a respected forum for discussing substantive issues in a respectful and orderly manner, without resorting to profanity or raising of voices.
"Members of the state assembly are elected by the people and serve as their spokespersons," he said adding that the assembly played an important role in providing a check and balance to the executive branch by allowing members to voice constructive feedback on programmes implemented by the executive branch.
He said adequate time should be allocated to enable members to participate in constructive debate.
"At the same time, the assembly should not become a forum for finger-pointing, petty squabbles that waste time and detract from meaningful debate.
"To ensure the preservation of a healthy democracy, members of the Assembly must bear responsibility to be leaders who represent moderation, in tune with lyrics of understanding, welcoming the symphony of harmony, towards creating a religious and cultured environment that reflects the spirit of inclusivity and mutual respect among different ethnic and religious groups in the country," he said.